Stapleton Urban Hiking Denver

Stapleton Urban Hiking Denver

Stapleton. It’s a word filled with emotion and history for those that live in the neighborhood and natives from Denver. The largest neighborhood in Denver, this landmark spreads from 56th Ave to Montview, Quebec to Havana. It spans I70, contains miles and miles of trails, and houses homes for income-qualified renters to multi-millionaires. Walking Stapleton could take days; instead, we focused on its newer section for just a few miles.

Let’s Go Back a Few Years

To understand Stapleton, we have to go back to the turn of the century when Mayor Benjamin Stapleton was elected mayor. He had a little help from his friends–those of the KKK–who he later renounced after a recall election. The story is complicated, and its one which current Stapleton residents have much angst. Despite Stapleton’s turmoil, he did have the vision to create Denver’s first commercial airport.

A Quandary

Despite being “all the way out in Rattlesnake Holler,” that it opened the day after the stock market crash of 1929, and that the aviation industry was fledgling at the time, Denver’s first commercial airfield succeeded and ultimately was named after Stapleton. It flourished, airlines made hubs, and the runways got longer as the airplanes got bigger. The FAA put building restrictions on downtown, Park Hill Neighborhood organized and filed noise lawsuits, and Denver ended up in a quandary about what to do with its overly successful airport.

The Only Constant Is Change

In the meantime, World War II brought in mass developments of armaments and soldiers. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal pushed out tons of munitions, fuel for the space race, and pesticides. A pair of bald eagles moved in; the world’s largest Superfund site got declared; and the airport needed a place to expand.

Whew, Are You Following Along?

In 1995, decisions were made. Over a billion dollars would clean up the Arsenal and turn it into a Refuge, the Stapleton airport would close, Denver International Airport would open, and the old runways would turn into a re-urbanized, infill development of 30,000 homes.

Welcome to 2017

All the decisions have been executed. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge flourishes with 126 head of bison, Denver International Airport moves over 190 flights a day, and the Stapleton neighborhood is almost built out. This is where our 2.5-mile walk starts.

If you would like more places to walk in Stapleton, there are 3 more routes in The Best Urban Hikes: Denver plus two in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge and a bonus one at First Creek at DEN Open Space.

Where do you want to go in Denver?

Recent Thoughts

Colorado is known for mild weather, beautiful mountains and a wide variety of outdoor adventures. Lucky for you there are dozens of hiking trails near Denver that exemplify why Denver is an outdoor destination all year round.

Here at UrbanHikingDEN we explore the best hikes in Denver, showing you where to head if you want to get out on the trail within minutes of the city center.

Hiking in Denver is a year-round activity. With well-maintained trails and easy access to the most populated areas of town, hiking Denver is an activity you can enjoy both when you are local to the city or visiting from out of town. Taking an urban hike in Denver is easy and close by.

Chris Englert has personally hiked all 78 neighborhoods in Denver and is a foremost expert on the best hikes in Denver. Colorado.